Saturday, January 31, 2009

JW RUN 2009

COMING SOON!
JW Run brought to you a Relay with a Difference!


Biznet Resources in collaboration with Dignity & Services is organising a relay run incorporating a Garage Sales.


The Objective:
To create awareness within the community and public that persons with learning disability can live alongside ordinary folks if given the opportunity.


To raise awareness within the community about 'OPTION' - a Supported Living program for young adults with learning disability.
(To learn more about Dignity & Services and the program, log on to http://dignityandservices.blogspot.com for more details)


To raise fund for Dignity & Services (D&S)


Date : 12 April 2009 (Sunday)
Time : 7.30am
Venue : No. 45, Medan Burhanuddin Helmi, TTDI, Kuala Lumpur
Distance : 3km per loop
Team member : 3 runner per team
Registration : RM60 per team


Category
Men Open (13 years & above)
Women Open (13 years & above)
Men Veteran (40 -49 years)
Men Senior Veteran (50 years & above)
Mixed (13 years & above with at least ONE female runner)


Medal
Finishing Medal for all participants who completed the run


Breakfast
Light breakfast will be served

More details will be updated. For enquiries, please email to jwbiznet@hotmail.com


GE30K : A Race & Tribute To A Friend

The Great Eastern 30K race on 18 January 2009 at Tapak A, Lake Garden was my 1st race for 2009. It took me more than a month to decide and only signed up on the very last day. I wasn't really sure if I could actually complete the run as this run is known as one of the toughest with endless hill slopes. Without any preparation and training, the task is even tougher!


Finally that dreaded day arrived. Kei Ming fetched me at 5.20am heading towards Lake Garden. Arrived at the children playground carpark at 5.40am. Say hello to Ronnie See, Chen and a few others then quickly change into my Adidas Supernove Glide W (which I picked up barely less than a week under the Adidas Shoes Seeding Program). Thanks to Mr. Krishnan of Adidas who helped me with the selection. I truly needed a pair of shoes with good cushioning to take me thru that treacherous route.


Knowing well that I'll be slow, I decided to leave my bag at the baggage counter instead of keeping it in Kei Ming's car. There were a sea of runners and the place was dimly lit. Along the way I met many familiar faces and we exchange greetings. I was searching for the baggage tent which was at the far end. Then there was a short announcement that the race will be delayed due to technical error. After taking 2 cups of water, I head towards the mobile toilet to ease myself before the run start. While waiting in line suddenly the sound of the air horn was heard and I saw runners taking off! I was grateful that the lady runner at the front who was running the 20K allowed me to use the toilet first. By the time I came out, the 20K runners were at the starting line.


I was in a daze not knowing which way to go as the earlier crowd had disappeared in the dark. Then I saw Lionel sitting at the side. Walked up to him and asked him for the direction and hurriedly trying to catch up. About 200m infront I saw runners slowing down as that was the first uphill slope to tackle and I quickly catched up with the rest.


The 1st 10km was on target at 70mins. If I can keep my pace consistently, I should be able to complete the race under 4 hours. But after the 15km mark, the route became tougher and tougher to tackle the many hill slopes. The sun has risen and the heat is up! When I saw the 20km runners taking the U-turn, I was almost at the verge of giving up and just do the 20km! I desperately trying to find something to keep me motivated as the route ahead will be much tougher to tackle!


On Friday (15 January 2009), Raymond Chew, a good friend whom I got to know for barely 2 years succumbed to his long battle against stomach cancer and was called to the Almighty. For that short period, I had the opportunity to run with him on many road races and we also went hiking in Cheras hill. However, early last year his condition deteriorated and he began to isolate himself from us. He had always inspired me while we ran the same race. Giving me that little push whenever I slowed down and I actually had improved over time.



We pay our last respect to him the night before. That was the 1st time we saw him after more than 6 months he went into isolation. We were stunt and beyond words. He truly suffered while battling with life. We can only pray and ask God to take care of him from then on.


With that, I dedicated the last 15km of that race to him. That afternoon was his last ride on this universe. May you find peace in the arm of God.


The last 15km, the stiffness began to set in both my legs. I was almost dragging myself all the way uphill under the blazing sun. After the 22km marker, my knee was in pain with each step I took. I was already at walking pace all the way back. I walked up to the medical aid on standby for some cream to reduce the aches but was told that there was none. Luckily I carried a small Reflexball with me and stopped at the road side for a quick massage. Then a few kilometres away, I tried my luck again but received the same fate - no more medical aids!

After the 25km mark, I was almost crawling. With a stiff leg, painful knee joints and blazing sun without any sight of the water station, I was walking in dissolution!

Thank God! The last water station at the 28km. I quickly grab 2 cups and washed it down my throat. And now, another 2km to go . . . . . Finally, I made it back to the finishing line in 4hrs 29mins 52sec! Thank you God for taking me through the journey!


Next will be the 204km KL-Maran Marathon in early April.


LARIAN ADUN CHEMPAKA 2009 - FINAL UPDATES

Larian Karnival Mesra Rakyat Dun Chempaka 2009 (Formerly known as Larian Tahun Baru Adun Chempaka 2009) has been postponed due to technical error as follow.

Date : 8 February 2009 (Sunday)
Time : 7am
Venue : Padang MPAJ, Pandan Indah
Distance : 6km
Reg Fee : RM10.00

Prizes
Medal + Hamper + Cash
1st - 3rd Placing for all categories


Finisher medals
4th - 15th Placing : Men Veteran
4th - 10th Placing : Women Veteran
4th - 15th Placing : Men Open
4th - 15th Placing : Women Open
4th - 15th Placing : Boys
4th - 15th Placing : Girls

Those who are still interested to participate may pick up the form from the Adun Chempaka service centre -

Pusat Khidmat Adun Chempaka
3-1A, Jalan Hilir 1
Taman Angsana Hilir
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel : 03 - 92 83 3835

Person in-charge
Farizuddin - 019 986 1496
Nizam - 019 910 6280

STANDARD CHARTERED KL MARATHON 2009!

Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2009 Set To Take Off In June With The Aim Of Being Sustainable
RM 350,000 biggest ever cash prize for a marathon in Malaysia



Kuala Lumpur, 20 January 2009 – The inaugural Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2009 is set to place Malaysia on the global map of marathons by being a sustainable event. Following in the footsteps of eight successful Standard Chartered Marathons spanning four continents, the Race offers the biggest prize money ever for a marathon in Malaysia (RM 350,000) with a guaranteed prize pool for Malaysian runners.

Octagon, a division of CMGRP (M) Sdn. Bhd and Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Berhad officially launched Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2009, today. The launch was officiated by the Minister of Youth and Sports, YB Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob. Endorsed by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2009 is also sanctioned by the Malaysia Amateur Athletic Union (MAAU), International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), and the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS).

YB Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri said in his speech,

“Our vision at the Ministry of Youth and Sports is to develop an active, healthy and energetic community. Specifically, we aspire to realise this by making running an accessible sport for all to enjoy.

A world-class, international race such as the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2009 lends support to this goal by fostering the spirit of excellence not just among professional athletes but among all Malaysians, from the youngest to the oldest of them.”

Octagon who are specialist in sporting events worldwide, aims to attract 12,500 participants for what is expected to be the marathon of the year. Ivan Brixi, Managing Director for Octagon in Asia, elaborated,

"We aspire for this race to become a race for everyone - professional athletes, amateurs, families with children, corporate and NGO bodies and anyone who wants to be a part of something fun and inspirational.

We have every intention to make this Marathon a sustainable one - both by 'greening' it and through the charity element. This means we will do our best to use recyclable materials where possible for the runners' giveaways and encourage KL to become a car-free zone for the day. Indeed we will do everything in our power to reduce the carbon footprint of this event.

The Race will start from Merdeka Square on 28 June 2009. The route for the marathon will showcase some of the capital's most famous landmarks, making it an ideal attraction for tourists and out-of-towners."
Julian Wynter, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Berhad said,

"We are very excited to add KL to the Standard Chartered series of marathons. In all eight countries where we sponsor Marathons, each has created a real buzz amongst the marathon-running community globally and we know that Standard Chartered KL Marathon will be no exception."

"Standard Chartered Marathons characterise the values and attitudes we believe in and live bt every day - having a can-do attitude, the courage to try and the stamina and determination to go the extra mile, no matter what. They also embody our Right Partner promise to our governments, our communities, and our people - to help our communities grow and prosper."

Octagon's goal is to establish the Standard Chartered KL Marathon as the best in the region and to ultimately achieve the Silver and Gold recognition from IAAF within the next 5 years.

Octagon proudly welcomes Standard Chartered Malaysia as the Title Sponsor and MSIG Insurance (Malaysia) Bhd as a Gold Sponsor in the Insurance category. More sponsors will be announced in the coming months.

For media enquiries, please contact:

Standard Chartered Malaysia
Karen R Yap, Senior Manager, Corporate Affairs +6 03 2781 7257
Karen-R.Yap@standardchartered.com
+6012 292 6780

For Octagon: Weber Shandwick Malaysia 03 - 7843 3100 or;

Alina Morais
amorais@webershandwick.com
(017 323 3078 / 03 7843 3125)

Suninthini Ramalo
sramalo@webershandwick.com
(012 635 6351 / 03 7843 3131)

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

HAPPY MOOOOOO YEAR!!!!

Wishing everyone a Joyful MoooOOOOO year! May you have his strength to run in many more races to come.

The month of January 2009 is definitely full of excitement, controversy, sadness and rays of hope for some. Its only the 1st month and be prepared for more challenges ahead. I took 3 days off from the 'screen' since eve of Chinese New Year to give my twin identical lakes a break. I would also like to take this opportunity to say Thank You to friends and runners who jammed up my mobile with best wishes for the year.

There are just too many things which I will want to pen down. I'll be away to Ipoh shortly and back on Friday night. So, do drop by to check out the following during the weekend.

1) GE30K - A Race & A Tribute to a Friend
2) Latest Update on Larian Adun Chempaka 2009
3) Of FTAAA & MAAU : Of Sportsmanship, Ethics & Rights
4) Gift of Dignity Relay 2009

Happy Holiday!

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

ADIDAS SUPERNOVA GLIDE - W

After waiting for more than a year, finally I got the opportunity to participate in the Adidas Running Shoe Seeing Program Q1 2009. I went to their office with Wong Kei Ming. Met by Mr Krishnan who took out several models of different sizes for us to try on.

I was actually looking for a pair of running shoe with good cushioning yet light enough to take me through a distance of not less than 20km without giving too much impact on my knee and ankle. Mr. Krishnan took us on a short 'tour' about choosing the right running shoes. I was not a 'technical' person but the various gadget and material sampling shown gave me a better understanding about running shoes and why it cost so much.

After trying a few models and with the help of Mr. Krishnan, I settled for the Adidas Supernova Glide which is an update version of Supernova Cushion. And Yellow is the color for 2009!


You run like a girl: fast and hard. That's why the adidas Supernova Glide running shoe features a GeoFit™ construction specifically designed to meet the demands of a woman's foot as it tears across town at record speeds.

ForMotion™ actively supports your muscles for improved comfort and efficiency

NoSeam engineered-mesh upper ensures a comfortable, irritation-free fit; Women's-specific upper with more space and no overlays in the bunion area to ensure maximum comfort

adiPRENE®+ in the forefoot maintains propulsion and efficiency;

GeoFit™ construction for anatomical fit and comfort

TORSION® SYSTEM for midfoot integrity
Dual-layer, anti-microbial, adiLite-respoEVA sockliner for step-in comfort

adiWEAR® outsole offers the ultimate in high-wear durability

I will be wearing this in the GE30K this Sunday and will write about it in my next posting. So, do come back to check out how the Supernova Glide 'perform' at the race!

RUN FOR PEACE

Organiser
Soka Gakkai Malaysia (SGM), Selangor Branch

Date
22 March 2009

Venue
Padang Serba Guna, Taman Klang Jaya

Distance
8 KM

Eligibility
13 years and above

Reg Fee
RM 15.00 non-refundable

Closing Date
20 February 2009

Reporting time
6 am

T-shirt collection
28 Feb, 1 March and 8 March (11am - 5pm)

Enquiry
Tel (03)33 24 3120 / (03)33 24 3121 / (03)33 24 3122

Friday, January 9, 2009

The SPORTSMANSHIP Spirit

This is my first write up (tho' not the first posting) for the first week of 2009. Yes, 2009 is definitely a year of Challenge and a new Beginning for many things. For the past 2 years, besides taking part in running events, I also got the chance to taste being an organiser and standing on the other side as volunteer as well. Perhaps now I can emphatise with the woes faced by organisers as well as runners. However it is almost impossible to satisfy the needs of each and everyone. What lacking these days are the true spirit of SPORTSMANSHIP. And the saddest part is even those whom we look up upon as good example for the young to emulate are the one who flaunt their uncalled conduct unashamedly.

Is winning and consistently trying at all cost to be a champion that important? Isn't sport supposed to be the catalyst in forging friendship and respect irrespective of age, colour, belief, nationality and social status? Isn't sport supposed to teach us to be team players?

Let us look at the definition as described in the Wikipedia.

SPORTSMANSHIP is conformance to the rules, spirit and etiquette of sport. More grandly, it may be considered the ethos of sport. It is interesting that the motivation for sport is often an elusive element. Sportsmanship expresses an aspiration or ethos that the activity will be enjoyed for its own sake, with proper consideration for fairness, ethics, respects and a sense of fellowship with one's competitors. Being a 'good sport' involves being a 'good winner' as well as being a 'good loser'.

Often the pressures of competition, individual achievement, or introduction of technlogy can seem to work against enjoyment by participants. As a result, sportsmanship may contracted with gamesmanship.

Sportsmanship typically is regarded as component of morality in sport, composed of three related and perhaps overlapping concepts: fair play, character and sportsmanship.

Fair play refers to all participants having an equitable chance to pursue victory and acting towards others in an honest, straightforward and a firm and dignified manner even when others do not play fair. It includes respect for others including team members, opponents and officials.

Character refers to dispositions, value and habits that determine the way that person normally responds to desires, fears, challenges, opportunities, fairness and successes and is typically seen in polite behaviours toward others such as helping an opponent up or skaking hands after a match. An individual is believed to have a 'good character' when those dispositions and habits reflect core ethical values.

Sportsmanship can be conceptualized as an endurance and relatively stable characteristics or disposition such that individual differs in the way they are generally expected to behave in sports situations. In general, sportsmanship refers to virtues such as fairness, self-control, courage and persistance and has been associated with interpersonal concepts of treating others and being treated fairly, maintaining self-control in dealing with others, and respect for both authority and opponents. Five facets of sportsmanship have been identified:

Full commitment to participation (eg. showing up, work hard during all practices and games, acknowledging one's mistakes and trying to improve);

Respect & concern for rules & officials;

Respect & concern for social conventions (eg. shaking hands, recognising the good performance of an opponent)

Respect and concern for the opponent (eg. lending one's equipment to the opponent, agreeing to play even if the opponent is late, not taking advantage of injured opponents) and

Avoiding poor attitudes towards participation (eg. not adopting a win-at-all-cost approach, not showing temper after a mistakes, and not competing solely for individual prizes).


Hopefully 2009 will bring about more changes in people's attitude towards life and be more responsible in their conducts.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

ADIDAS RUNNING SHOES SEEDING PROGRAM Q1 2009


Good news for runners who blog or having their own webpage

Adidas had once again brought in more highly innovative running shoes to be given away FREE to runners to wear-test them & to post in their blog a frank & unprejudiced opinion about the shoes after 30 days of usage.

One of the shoe taht is included in this program is adiZero Adois that Haile Gebrselassie used at the 2008 Berlin Marathon setting a world record in the Marathon at 2hr 03mins 58secs.

The sizes are limited and I have then in UK 5.5, 6.5, 7.5, 8.5 & 10.5. Those wishing to possess these shoes will have to comply with the following terms & condition :

1) Come to the adidas office to fit the shoes

2) Undertake to post a comment in their blog
a. about the Technical features of the performance of the shoes after 30 days of usage
b. about the performance of the shoes after 30 days of the usage

3) Must be a blogger or has his/her own website

This offer expires on 15th January 2009 & the shoes will be given out on a first-come-first-serve basis. The program this year is only open to those who had NOT participated or missed out in this program previously.

If you are interested pls call to make appointment as appended below

Office address:
adidas Malaysia Sdn Bhd
Block B, Level 4, Plaza Damansara
45, Media Setia 1
Bukit Damansara
Kuala Lumpur

Tel office : 03 - 20804843
Mobile No : 012 - 3503668

Best Regards

Krishnan Karuppan
Head of Running
adidas Malaysia